1p28d.md (1364B)
1 Whatsoever is conditioned to exist and act, has been 2 thus conditioned by God (by Prop. xxvi. and Prop. xxiv., 3 Coroll.). 4 5 But that which is finite, and has a conditioned existence, 6 cannot be produced by the absolute nature of any attribute of God; 7 for whatsoever follows from the absolute nature of any 8 attribute of God is infinite and eternal (by Prop. xxi.). It 9 must, therefore, follow from some attribute of God, in so far as 10 the said attribute is considered as in some way modified; for 11 substance and modes make up the sum total of existence (by Ax. i. 12 and Def. iii., v.), while modes are merely modifications of the 13 attributes of God. But from God, or from any of his attributes, 14 in so far as the latter is modified by a modification infinite 15 and eternal, a conditioned thing cannot follow. Wherefore it 16 must follow from, or be conditioned for, existence and action by 17 God or one of his attributes, in so far as the latter are 18 modified by some modification which is finite, and has a 19 conditioned existence. This is our first point. Again, this 20 cause or this modification (for the reason by which we 21 established the first part of this proof) must in its turn be 22 conditioned by another cause, which also is finite, and has a 23 conditioned existence, and, again, this last by another (for the 24 same reason); and so on (for the same reason) to infinity. 25 Q.E.D. 26 27